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A Chinese electric vehicle company has patented a voice-activated toilet that slides out from beneath a passenger seat, in the latest example of Chinese automakers piling unusual features into their cars to stand out in an intensely competitive market. Chongqing-based Seres received approval for the patent in early April, after filing it about a year prior. According to the filing, the unit can be deployed either by pressing the seat back or by issuing the voice command "start up toilet function."
It is intended to "satisfy users' toilet needs on long journeys, while camping or while staying in the car." A fan and exhaust pipe handle odors, a rotating heating element evaporates liquid waste and dries solid waste, and a tank stores what remains until it's manually emptied. Seres has not announced any vehicles that will actually include the toilet, and it's unclear if any will be produced. Chinese EV makers have also recently added built-in massage seats, karaoke systems, mini-fridges, and drone systems as they race to differentiate their products.
Source: NY Post